Alexander Nikolayevich Ostrovsky was born in Moscow on 12 April 1823 and died on 14 June 1886 in Shchelykovo. He received a good home education, had the opportunity to read a lot thanks to his father's rich library. Early felt his literary talent, but at the insistence of his father studied at the Faculty of Law. He did not complete his studies, failing the exam on Roman law. At his father's insistence, he worked for seven years in Moscow courts and at the same time engaged in literary work.

By 1846 Alexander Ostrovsky had already written many scenes from the life and life of merchants. The idea of the plot of the comedy, later called "We'll settle accounts with our own people!" had appeared Debut publication came out in the "Moscow City Sheet" a year later. The editors accepted in print a small play "Picture of Family Life". The author became famous with the publication of the comedy "We'll settle for our own people!" This work was completed in 1850 and was published in the newspaper "Moskvityanin". As a result, the comedy got on the scaffolding of the theatres and received sincere attention from the audience.

The enthusiastic reviews of Nikolai Gogol and Ivan Goncharov were combined with a critical attitude to the play of the merchants. As a result of complaints, the comedy was banned, and the author was fired. The ban was lifted only in 1861. For more than three decades, starting in 1853, Ostrovsky's plays were performed every season in the best theatres of the country. Years later, his works were screened, new interpretations were created, and still continue to read and put plays in theatres. The apotheosis of the playwright's work can be called the following works:

"Guiltless Guilty";

"Thunderstorm";

"Bespridannitsa";

"The Marriage of Balsaminov";

"The Snow Maiden".

Uniqueness of creativity

The release of the collection of Ostrovsky's works in two volumes in 1859 caused brilliant assessments of contemporaries. Another year later, "Thunderstorm" was printed, which became a masterpiece of the Russian classics. Since 1885, the playwright has been in charge of the repertoire of Moscow theatres and directs a theatre school. His works created modern Russian theatrical traditions. He founded a theatre school and his own concept of productions. Mikhail Bulgakov and Konstantin Stanislavsky became followers of Ostrovsky's ideas.

Family life

Deep feelings of the playwright to Lyubov Kositskaya remained platonic due to the presence of both families. The writer's actual wife for almost two decades was Agafya Ivanova. Uneducated commoner with a deep mind and understanding of the author's work was a faithful companion of Ostrovsky in all hardships. All the children born in this marriage died in infancy. After the death of Agafya Ivanova Ostrovsky entered his only legal and fairly prosperous marriage, married to actress Maria Bakhmetieva. She became the mother of his four sons and two daughters.

Everyone in Russia is familiar with Ostrovsky's work in various interpretations.